This invention pertains to ground fire mapping, and in particular, to a system and method for creating a selected, isothermal, perimetral outline for a fire which outline can be plotted on a transparency sheet suitable for registered overlay of a related topographic map.
The novel features of the invention take advantage of the capability of a thermal imaging camera and related control equipment to produce a data stream which is selectively linked to a chosen isothermal temperature or range of temperatures. By identifying certain temperatures that indicate important fire activity at the boundary of a fire, and by acquiring, for example by flying over a fire, several such data streams relating to different important temperatures, it is possible according to the invention to create a perimetral outline of current fire activity with thermal information which is most useful to the team fighting the fire. For example, there may be certain perimeter areas where a fire is actually creeping under ground but not visible to the eye--creating a condition which firefighters must know about if they are to apply their resources in the most judicious and effective way. Conversely, there may be other areas on the perimeter of the fire where, despite visual information, in truth, significant fire activity has subsided, and people and equipment can accordingly be diverted from such an area for use where more help is needed. Other perimeter conditions may also be useful to note specifically.
By the use of the present invention, a fire-fighting team can be given extremely current and accurate information about the character of a fire's perimeter, in a fashion suitable for overlaying, in proper scale, and with proper registry, on a topographic map of the fire area. Loran (latitude/longitude) information, also acquired with thermal information by the system and method of the present invention, enables such overlaying capability.
These and other objects and advantages which are achieved and offered by the present invention will become more fully apparent as the description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.